... New report finds 164000 fewer smokers ...MINNEAPOLIS Sept. 10 /- Findings from the latestMinneso... This dramatic decline in the smoking rate means that fewer Minnesota...Released every four years the Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey is them...

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Findings from the latest
Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS), released today, show that Minnesota
is making significant progress in reducing tobacco use. The survey --
conducted by ClearWay Minnesota(SM), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health -- found that Minnesota's
adult smoking rate has declined to a new low of 17 percent. That figure is
down approximately 5 percentage points since 1999 and represents 164,000
fewer smokers. Minnesota's declines are impressive compared to national
trends, where smoking rates appear to have stalled at about 20 percent
since 2004.

"This dramatic decline in the smoking rate means that fewer Minnesota
families will suffer the health and economic devastation of tobacco-related
diseases," said Dr. Barbara Schillo, Director of Research Programs for
ClearWay Minnesota. "Minnesotans should be proud that our state's
comprehensive program to reduce tobacco use, incorporating smoke-free
policies, tobacco price increases, education and state-of-the-art cessation
services for all Minnesotans, is working and producing remarkable results."

Released every four years, the Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey is the
most thorough and accurate source of information about smoking rates and
tobacco-related behaviors, attitudes and beliefs in the adult Minnesota
population, and serves as a tool for measuring the progress of Minnesota's
tobacco prevention efforts. Previous MATS were conducted in 1999 and 2003.

Other Key Findings from MATS 2007 include:

-- Fewer young adults are smoking -- Smoking rates for young adults
(18-24-year-olds) declined 8 percentage points, from 36.8 percent in 2003
to 28.4 percent in 2007, which means that there are 42,000 fewer young
adult smokers than in 2003.

-- The majority of smokers want to quit and more are getting help --
More than half (56.7 percent) of Minnesota adults who smoked in the past 12
months attempted to quit in the past year. The percent of smokers who used
counseling during their last quit attempt is up from 3.6 percent in 2003 to
14.9 percent in 2007. Getting help greatly increases a person's chances of
being successful in quitting.

-- Higher tobacco prices and smoke-free policies help people quit --
Increasing the price of cigarettes and establishing more smoke-free places*
was found to have supported quitting efforts. The 75-cent Health Impact
Fee, which went into effect in 2005, helped current smokers to make a quit
attempt (26.3 percent). Additionally, smoke-free policies also helped
current smokers to make a quit attempt (28.1 percent).

"Quitting smoking is difficult, and we are very encouraged that in the
past four years Minnesota has made great strides in reversing the alarming
trend of high smoking rates among young adults," said Dr. Sanne Magnan,
Commissioner with the Minnesota Department of Health. "An 8 percentage
point drop is very encouraging, but 18-24-year-olds still have the highest
smoking rate and that's where we must redouble our efforts."

While MATS 2007 documents Minnesota's continued progress in reducing
tobacco use, significant challenges remain and should not be overlooked. In
particular, 634,000 Minnesota adults continue to smoke and progress across
the population has been uneven. Minnesotans with less education and lower
incomes continue to smoke at higher rates, and young adults who do not
attend college saw no reductions at all.

"Unlike the rest of the country, Minnesota's smoking rate is
decreasing. That's a clear sign that we're doing the right things to reduce
tobacco use," said Dr. Marc Manley, vice president and medical director for
population health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. "But tobacco
use is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease and is
responsible for nearly $2 billion in excess medical costs annually in
Minnesota. We have to keep up our efforts if we want to improve health,
save lives and control health care costs."

* MATS 2007 does not reflect the effects of Minnesota's statewide
smoke-free law that went into effect in October 2007. MATS data collection
was completed prior to the law taking effect. The report does describe the
effects of local policies, and potentially forecasts the larger effects of
a statewide policy.

ClearWay Minnesota(SM) is an independent, non-profit organization that
improves the health of Minnesotans by reducing the harm caused by tobacco.
ClearWay Minnesota serves Minnesota through its grant-making program,
through QUITPLAN(R) Services and through statewide outreach activities. It
is funded with 3 percent of the state's 1998 tobacco settlement.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St.
Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health
plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a
wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the
people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the
largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in
Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by
its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an
independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association,
headquartered in Chicago. Go to http://www.bluecrossmn.com to learn more
about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Health is the lead public health agency in
Minnesota. Its mission is to protect, maintain and improve the health of
all Minnesotans. The department operates programs in the areas of disease
prevention and control, health promotion, family and community health,
environmental health, health care policy, emergency planning and
preparedness and regulation of health care providers and facilities. The
department works with local public health departments across the state to
accomplish its mission.

(Date:10/13/2017)... ... ... While it’s often important to take certain medications during the night, finding them ... a solution. , She developed a prototype for MOTION LIGHT-UP PILL BOX to provide ... need to turn on a light when taking medication during the night, allowing the ...

(Date:10/13/2017)... ... 13, 2017 , ... Apple Rehab Shelton Lakes , which specializes in ... the facility as part of a disaster drill on October 3rd. , Apple Rehab ... City Emergency Manager, as well as the Connecticut Long Term Care Mutual Aid ...

(Date:10/13/2017)... ... 2017 , ... Ellevate Network, the leading network for professional women, brought together ... equality at their inaugural Summit in New York City in June. The event was ... of over 3 million. To watch the Mobilize Women video, click here . ...

(Date:10/13/2017)... ... 13, 2017 , ... Talented host, actor Rob Lowe, is ... a new episode of "Success Files," which is an award-winning educational program broadcasted ... each subject in-depth with passion and integrity. , Sciatica occurs when the sciatic ...

(Date:10/2/2017)... The Rebound mobile app is poised to become ... tide of prescription drug addiction. The app empowers users to ... stepping down their dosage in a safe, controlled manner while ... the first 100,000 people to sign up will enjoy 3 ... ...

(Date:9/27/2017)... Sept. 27, 2017 DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO), a leading global digital ... its MyDario product is expected to appear on The Dr. Oz Show ... Oz Show airs in your area: http://www.doctoroz.com/page/where-watch-dr-oz-show ... The nine-time Emmy award-winning, The Dr. Oz Show kicked off ... The segment features ...